Tony Abbott is refusing to detail the content of his talks with the Indonesian president, but he insists the country's government is clear on the Coalition's border protection policies.

Julia Gillard yesterday branded the Opposition Leader a coward for failing to directly raise his policy of towing boats back to Indonesia during talks with president Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono.

But Mr Abbott says the policy was explained in "considerable detail" during a meeting between his deputy, Julie Bishop, the Coalition's immigration spokesman Scott Morrison and Indonesia's foreign minister Marty Natelegawa.

"I'm not going to go into specific details of discussions. Suffice to say that the Indonesian government now has the clearest possible understanding of exactly where the Coalition stands," Mr Abbott told reporters in Sydney.

"And I'm confident that the next Coalition government can work constructively and cooperatively with the Indonesians in the same way that the last Coalition government has."

The Government launched a coordinated attack on Mr Abbott yesterday after it emerged he had not raised the tow-back policy with Mr Yudhoyono.

Immigration Minister Chris Bowen accused Mr Abbott of behaving like a "lion" in Canberra but a "mouse" in Jakarta.

Labor argues Mr Abbott did not raise the policy because he knew the answer would be 'no' given Indonesia has previously expressed concern about the tow-back idea.

Speaking from India, Ms Gillard continued the attack on Mr Abbott.

"Mr Abbott has done two press conferences where he's had the opportunity to say the simple words - he raised tow-backs with the president of Indonesia," Ms Gillard said.

"Despite being questioned, he's declined to do so.

"It seems to me Mr Abbott is now spinning like a top because he's embarrassed by his failure to raise with the president of Indonesia something that he beats his chest about when he's home in Australia."

Mr Abbott today hit back at the Government's criticism, suggesting Labor was acting more like an alternative opposition and had become too focused on political and personal attacks.

"I'm not going to be lectured to by a prime minister who is more interested in complaining about the Opposition than she is in getting on with government," he said.

"I think if the Prime Minister would focus less on playing political games and on petty point scoring and more on addressing the issues of concern to the Australian public, all of us would be better off."

Mr Abbott's talks with Mr Yudhoyono were the second face-to-face meeting the pair have had since June.

On both occasions Mr Abbott did not specifically raise the tow-back policy.

Mr Morrison yesterday said it was always the intention to talk about the detail of the Coalition's border protection policy at the subsequent meeting with Mr Natelegawa.